Water inflow control structure of ice machine

ABSTRACT

The present invention for controlling an inflow time schedule of an ice machine includes a water inflow mechanism and a water amount control switch. The ice machine further includes a control axle, and the movement stroke of the control axle includes at least a closing locus linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to stop water inflow, and at least two opening loci which are located in the pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to start water inflow. Since one closing locus is located between two opening loci, the water inflow of the water inflow mechanism will be separated into at least two times, so as to achieve a sectional water supplying effect, thereby reducing the wave motion of water in the ice tray and providing a smooth water supply.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a water inflow control structure ofan ice machine, and more particularly to a control structure forcontrolling water inflow amount and inflow time schedule of an icemachine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice machine is commonly used by restaurants or the general domesticrefrigerators. Generally, the ice machine at least has an ice tray and awater inflow mechanism, wherein the water inflow mechanism is connectedto a water source for proving water to the ice tray, then the water inthe ice tray waits for being frozen, and the ice cubes are removed forrepeating the ice making process. There are many water supplying mannersfor the water inflow mechanism. For example, R.O.C. Patent No. I277715,entitled “Automatic ice making device and refrigerator with thereof”,includes an ice tray and a water storage tank, and also a water pump forproviding the water in the water-storage tank to the ice tray. Theaction of the water pump is controlled by a sensor, which is used todetect the position of the ice tray. But, this patent does not providethe method and structure for controlling water supply, so that the watersupply is completed by batch. Another example of R.O.C. Patent No.I274133, entitled “Refrigerator” includes a water supplying tank, an icetray and a water supplying machine, whose driving time is set by theuser. Through altering the duration for supplying water, the watersupplying amount can be altered. However, the water supplying is alsocompleted by batch. Further, because the water supplying amount islarger and the flowing speed is faster, the wave motion of the watersurface might be bigger, so that the detecting signal might have error,and thus, the water inflow mechanism might also have erroneous action,thereby occurring the problem of insufficient or excess water amount.Therefore, there is the need to improve thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a watersupplying mechanism capable of smoothly supplying water, so as to avoidthe water surface from waving too much as supplying water.

The present invention provides a water inflow control structure of anice machine for controlling the inflow time schedule of the ice machine.The ice machine includes a water inflow mechanism and a water amountcontrol switch for controlling an inflow time schedule of the waterinflow mechanism. The ice machine further includes a control axle, andthe movement stroke of the control axle includes at least a closinglocus which is linked to the water amount control switch for letting thewater inflow mechanism to stop water inflow, and at least two openingloci which are located in the pathway of the closing locus and arelinked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflowmechanism to start water inflow. Since one closing locus is locatedbetween two opening loci, the water inflow of the water inflow mechanismwill be separated into at least two times, so as to achieve a sectionalwater supplying effect, thereby reducing the wave motion of water in theice tray and providing a smooth water supply.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional drawing showing an ice machine in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another three-dimensional drawing showing the ice machine inan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing the first action of a control axleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic view showing the second action of a control axleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic view showing the first water inflow processaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing the second water inflow processaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 4C is a schematic view showing the third water inflow processaccording to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for showing the three-dimensionaldrawings of an ice machine in a preferred embodiment according to thepresent invention. The ice machine includes a control system 1, a waterinflow mechanism 6, an ice try 4 for receiving the water from the waterinflow mechanism 6 so as to be frozen to form ice cubes 9, a drivingmotor 3, a driving gear set 31 combined with the driving motor 3, acontrol axle 7 and an ice sweeping shaft 5, and further includes a firstguiding board 81, a blocking board 82 and a second guiding board 83which are used for assisting in collecting the ice cubes 9 for storage.The control system 1 can set to have an ice making procedure, whereinthe water in the ice tray 4 waits for being frozen, the driving motor 3drives the driving gear set 31 to rotate the ice sweep shaft 5 forremoving the ice cubes 9 in the ice tray 4, and the water inflowmechanism 6 re-supplies water to the ice tray for repeating the icemaking process. The ice machine further includes a water amount controlswitch 2, which has a button 21 for controlling the water inflowmechanism 6 to be open or close. The water amount control switch 2 isconnected to the control axle 7. The control axle 7 has a movementstroke including at least a closing locus 71 and at least two openingloci 72, wherein the closing locus 71 is linked to the water amountcontrol switch 2 for letting the water inflow mechanism 6 to stop waterinflow, and the opening loci 72 are located in the pathway of theclosing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch 2 forletting the water inflow mechanism 6 to start water inflow. Through thedriving motor 3 driving the control axle 7 to rotate, the control axle 7can have a linkage with the water amount control switch 2 for decidingthe time schedule of water inflow, so as to control the water inflowmechanism to start or stop water supplying. Furthermore, the controlaxle 7 is linked with the ice sweeping shaft 5, or the control axle 7can be connected with the ice sweeping shaft 5 for simplifying thedriving process and also achieving a synchronization effect.

Please refer to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B which show the action relationshipof the control axle 7 and the water amount control switch 2. The controlaxle 7 has a rotation axle center 73, and the axle center 73 hasdifferent distances to the closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72. Inthis embodiment, the opening locus 72 is relatively closer to the axlecenter 73 than the closing locus 71 (namely, the closing locus 71 sinkstoward the axle center 73), as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. Followingthe actions of the control axle 7, the closing locus 71 will reject tothe button 21 of the water amount control switch 2, so that the waterinflow mechanism stops the water inflow. Continuously, the control axle7 moves to force the opening locus 72 to move to the button 21, and atthis time, compared with the closing locus 71, the opening locus 72gives a releasing space to the button 21, so that the water amountcontrol switch 2 makes the water inflow mechanism 6 to start watersupplying. Furthermore, following the rotation of the control axle 7,the closing locus 71 between two opening loci 72 again forces the waterinflow mechanism 6 to stop water supplying, and then, the anotheropening locus 72 will continuously release the button 21 so as to makethe water inflow mechanism 6 to start water supplying. Therefore, asectional water supplying mode is formed. Here, the number of theopening locus 72 is not limited and can be adjusted according topractical demands. Moreover, the water amount control switch 2 also canhave multiple water amount control positions, so that, between thetotally open position and the close position, a partial amount positionfor water supplying can be formed. For matching to the water amountcontrol switch 2 with the multiple water amount control positions, thecontrol axle 7 can further include at least a transitional locus 74connected between the closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72, so thatthe closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72 can be smoothly connectedand the transitional locus 74 can let the water control switch 2 tolocate at a position to provide less amount of water.

Please refer FIGS. 4A-4C which show the water inflow process. In FIG.4A, the ice tray 4 contains the congealed ice cubes 9, and at this time,the ice sweeping shaft 5 is located above the ice tray 4 and does notcontact with the ice cubes 9, and the control axle 7 is rejected to thebutton 21 through the closing locus 71 for letting the water inflowmechanism 6 not to supply water. ID FIG. 4B, the control system 1commands the driving motor 3 to rotate the control axle 7 and the icesweep shaft 5, so that the ice cubes 9 are pushed out of the ice tray 4.In FIG. 4C, following the rotation of the ice sweeping shaft 5 and thecontrol axle 7, the opening locus 72 moves to the button 21 to releasethe button 21, so that the water inflow mechanism 6 starts to supplywater to the ice tray 4. And, through the continuous rotation of thecontrol axle 7, the button 21 passes through plural opening loci 72 andclosing loci 71, which are located therebetween, and multiple rejectionand releasing processes, so that the water inflow mechanism 6 canseparately inflow the water for many times, thereby reducing the wavemotion of the water in the ice tray.

Although the present invention has disclosed through the preferredembodiment described above, it is not restricted. The control system 1can be a motor-controlled sequential circuit. The ice machine canfurther include a detection device for detecting the water level in theice tray 4. Furthermore, when the button 21 of the water amount controlswitch 2 is pressed down, the water supply starts, and when the button21 is released, the water supply stops. Besides, the types and actionsof the water amount control switch 2 are not limited.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrativeonly, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention tothe fill extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed.

1. A water inflow control structure of an ice machine having a waterinflow mechanism and a water amount control switch for controlling aninflow time schedule of the water inflow mechanism, characterized inthat: the water inflow control switch connects to a control axle fordeciding the inflow time schedule, and the movement stroke of thecontrol axle includes at least a closing locus which is linked to thewater amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism tostop water inflow, and at least two opening loci which are located inthe pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amountcontrol switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to start waterinflow.
 2. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the ice machine further comprises an icetray for receiving the water supplied by the water inflow mechanism soas to form ice cubes, an ice sweeping shaft for removing the ice cubesout of the ice tray, a driving motor for driving the ice sweeping shaft,and a control system for setting ice making procedure so as to controlthe driving motor to rotate.
 3. The water inflow control structure ofthe ice machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control axle isconnected to the ice sweeping shaft and is also driven by the drivingmotor.
 4. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the control system is a motor-controlledsequential circuit.
 5. The water inflow control structure of the icemachine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driving motor is combinedwith a driving gear set for moving the control axle.
 6. The water inflowcontrol structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecontrol axle has a rotation axle center, whose distances respectively tothe closing locus and the opening loci are different.
 7. The waterinflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 6,wherein the control axle further comprises a transitional locusconnected between the closing locus and the opening locus.
 8. The waterinflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 1,wherein the ice machine further comprises a detection device fordetecting the water level in the ice tray.